In-situ construction of In2O3/In2S3-CdIn2S4 Z-scheme heterojunction nanotubes for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

Semiconductor photocatalysis was considered as an ideal solution to energy shortages. Herein, a novel ternary In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 -CdIn 2 S 4 (IOSC) nanotube (NTs) photocatalyst was successfully constructed via in situ growth of In 2 S 3 and CdIn 2 S 4 nanosheets onto In 2 O 3 skeleton. It was used for the efficient and stable photo-production of hydrogen from water splitting. The rationally designed IOSC NTs displayed significantly enhanced photocatalytic H 2 production under visible light irradiation (≥420 nm), with the highest H 2 yield determined to be 2892 μmol·g −1 , which is much higher than that of pristine In 2 S 3 and In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 (IOS) NTs. Cyclic testing has shown that the IOSC2 product remains stable after four cycles of repeated use. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was contributed by its tightly bound tube-nanosheets heterogeneous structure and superior light absorption. Photoelectrons transfer in IOSC2 follows a Z-scheme mechanism, which greatly facilitates its utilization of photogenerated electrons and prevents CdIn 2 S 4 from undergoing photo-corrosion affecting material stability. This work demonstrates the key role of in situ growth in the interface design of ternary heterostructures.